Civil Rights Activist Clarence B. Jones Dies at 95

Clarence B. Jones, civil rights activist, lawyer and speechwriter for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who helped draft part of the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, died on Friday, May 22. He was 95 years old.

According to his son, Clarence Jr., Jones passed away in an assisted living facility in Cupertino, California.

Jones was an organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered the legendary speech and helped push the Voting Rights Act two years later, which lifted laws that prevented Black Americans from voting.

In 2024, former President Joe Biden awarded Jones with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to civil rights.

Until his death, Jones was very vocal and critical of U.S. leaders’ attempts to undermine the progress of the civil rights movement; he even commented on President Trump’s push to redraw congressional maps to weaken Black voting efforts at an appearance at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

After his death, The King Center made a public statement regarding Jones’ efforts in the civil rights movement.

“We are grateful for his life and his work in the interest of justice and Civil Rights. Our hearts go out to his family and our prayers go up on behalf of his loved ones.”

Clarence B. Jones, Activist Who Helped Write 'I Have A Dream' Speech, Dies was originally published on thelightnc.com